Oscar Lavën: Elegant Calamity
Wellington, NZ-based multi-instrumentalist Oscar Lavën brought together an eclectic mix of local musicians for Elegant Calamity where he unveils his own mixed bag of influences to great effect. His inclusion of a three-piece string section could be regarded as a negative by some but emerges as a positive feature as he lays out his stall of original music.
The cacophonous opening to Trong Park is not indicative of what’s to come for this is just the start of a delightful mix of music that might sound a little derivative at times but taken as a whole delivers a package which in someway shape or form should satisfy a vast number of jazzers including big-band enthusiasts, Latin lovers and those seeking a little entertainment along the way. The recording took place at the wonderfully named Bedlam & Squalor bar and live music venue in Wellington, before an enthusiastic group of punters.
Leader Lavën got a big sound out of this line-up, driven along by a three-man percussion section (regular drum kit plus two percussionists) who top the mix on occasion. Latin rhythms are the order of the day for half the tunes, the arrangements not over-written, for Levan clearly likes the use of repeated phrases or a riff or two, often underpinning solos of a contemporary nature.
But this only touches the surface, for we have the hard-hitting, not to say exciting 12+ minutes of Pharoah Blue (Sanders perhaps?), kicked off by the leader going through the harmonics, Tall Poppy Stomp, acknowledging the music from the past, and an unashamedly romantic ballad, Clementine Sensation, guided along by alto saxophone and violin. This is all topped off by the substantially titled closing track, a storming manifestation, interrupted briefly by an audacious interpolation from the reed section.
This is a coming together which should be repeated on a regular basis, featuring music deserving of a wide audience.
Discography
Trong Park; Dizzy Campaign; Butterfly; Pharoah Blue; La Bartavelle; Tall Poppy Stomp; Cloud Serendipity; Clementine Sensation; Spinney Of Oaks Scheming Before Somebody Spots Them (76.38)
Lavën (ts) with orchestra including strings. Wellington, New Zealand, 2025.
Thick Records THO19
Lluc Casares: Big Band Vol 1
This is the fifth album from Spanish tenor saxophonist Lluc Casares and his first leading a big band. For a number of years he has performed on both sides of the Atlantic, often sharing the stage in top-class company. It is asserted that he is the first person from the Iberian Peninsula to have studied the Artist Diploma program at New York’s Juilliard School in New York. It is fair to say his studies have born fruit, for this ensemble does true justice to his imaginative charts, kicking off with a take on Monk’s Off Minor, the sections set against each other when tackling the already quirky theme.
Also sharing space with the original compositions are Cedar Walton’s Simple Pleasure, not an obvious choice for a large aggregation and Coltrane’s Naima, given a highly effective dramatic workover, still retaining the beauty of the original. On Ostinato, from the pen of trumpeter Oriol Valles, we get an unmistakable bow towards the Basie band of yesteryear, with the leader’s funky S’Escot offering an upbeat close to an all too short, spirited offering which includes many a good solo.
Allowing for the relatively short playing time, this album can be recommended to all big-band enthusiasts, but they’ll need a record deck for this vinyl-only release.
Discography
Off Minor; Back To Babylon; Simple Pleasure; Ostinato; Naima; S’Escot (38.00)
Casares (ts, cl, f) with big band. 26 April 2025.
The Changes TC037
Richie Havens: Alarm Clock
This reissue on 180-gram coloured vinyl includes both the original tracks and two previously unreleased items. The album came off the back of Havens’ appearance at the previous year’s Woodstock Festival, where he opened the event and was thus revealed to a much wider public. Until then, despite having released a number of albums, his audience had been mainly confined to the followers of folk music.
He’s famed for his impassioned delivery, and this is much in evidence here, from the opening Here Comes The Sun to Graham Nash’s Military Madness, which is one of the bonus tracks. That rasping voice, accompanied by his own trademark acoustic guitar on most of the songs, is typical of his output from the time.
Refusing to be pigeon-holed, Havens could be said to have crossed barriers, the commitment to his material leading to him being accepted by followers of folk, soul and blues. It could even be suggested that jazz buffs would have also appreciated the authenticity he brought to virtually every performance.
Discography
Here Comes The Sun; To Give All Your Love Away; Younger Men Grow Older; Girls Don’t Run Away; End Of The Seasons; Nobody Knows; Some Will Wait; Patient Lady; Missing Train; Alarm Clock; Military Madness (45.28)
Havens (v, g, p, pc) with various musicians including Paul Williams (g): Eric Oxendine (b); Bill LaVorgna (d). 1970.
Stormy Forest 140011
